So I haven’t done a post in a while. It’s not that I have nothing new to share, it’s just that I have a number of projects on the go at the moment that aren’t quite complete. In the meantime, here’s a little Easter tribute from me to you.

My sister-in-law Yuni surprised me today with 2 knitted cushion covers that she has been working on for the past few weeks. She has only very recently started knitting and crocheting, with frankly amazing results. She created these two gems with my particular style and colour scheme in mind, and they are spot on. What a wonderful girl.

My friend Erin approached me a while ago with the terrific proposal of creating some business cards for her. The design sort of grew into a bit of a branding project as well, and together we created a name, logo and some calling cards for her one-person wholesale chicken business.

It was really fun working with someone with amazing taste, who was willing to let me have fun with the project. Thanks Erin! Here’s to many years of chicken related success.

Props to my Mom for the catch phrase – there’s many more where that came from!

I recently used some of the illustrations from my A to Z of Hat Styles App to create unique and economical Christmas gifts for my friends and family. With inspiration from my friend Caileigh Speck, who directed me to the wonderful services of Ali at Buttonhead, I created a collection of illustrated pocket mirrors. I then packaged them up quite simply, and handed them out come holiday time. It was a fun project, that was well received and easy to do. Take a look!

After a flurry of visits and seemingly endless roast dinners, I am at last able to sit back and take stock of the last few days. This includes looking over some of the wonderful gifts I received from my very dear friends and family. Here are a few of the brilliant presents exchanged in our household this season:

Handwoven wool blanket from Mom:

My very talented Mother has been knitting and crocheting beautiful items for years, but this Christmas she pulled out all the stops and wove some absolutely gorgeous blankets for me, my sister, and my Grandmother. Each blanket was carefully planned to suit the style of its intended recipient. A truly lasting and heartfelt gift; well done, Mom!

My brother-in-law conspired with my baby nephew to give me a unique and fun prezzie: personalized Jones Soda bottles, featuring a photo of Elias and a special message from him to his Auntie. Very cute.

My brother had a bit of a mix up with the postage while trying to mail me a package from overseas, the result being that my present will now arrive in the new year instead of last week. Being the dear that he is, he sent me a wonderful last-minute gift pack from the Regional Assembly of Text, so that I would have something to open on Christmas day. It included these Flashcards of a Nonsensical Nature, which are very entertaining and have some wonderful illustrations. He knows me well.

I have recently joined forces with my brilliant brother to transform one of my previous print projects into an Android app.

My A to Z of Hat Styles was originally conceived as a collection of printed alphabet cards featuring a hat for (almost) every letter. The printed project was a self-promotional piece meant to showcase my own personal design and illustrative style.

This app takes the piece one step further, creating an interactive experience that can be used educationally, as an aid in hat-related trivia, or simply to put a smile on your face. Download it for your smart phone or tablet – free in the Android Market! If you’re feeling especially techy, scan the QR code to the right with a QR code scanner like Google Goggles! Enjoy 🙂

One of my favourite parts of the holiday build-up is sending out (and receiving) Christmas cards. It is a chance to send something tangible to the many dear ones that are scattered far and wide across this world. It takes a little time and consideration, but it is worthwhile in the end when you think of those on the receiving end of your little paper gift.

I know that time is always hard to find in the holiday season, so to help you out I have created 3 original Christmas card designs. They can be printed on any home colour printer, just follow these steps:

Download any of the .pdf files below

Print cards on white card stock, available at any stationery or craft supply store

Elias Diving

Elias Sitting

In honour of my nephew’s first birthday a little while ago, I have written, illustrated and designed a children’s book starring him (as a hedgehog). I have always wanted to take a shot at writing and designing children’s books, and with online print-on-demand sites such as Lulu, my attempts can now come as close as possible to actual publication. Exciting!

This first installment in the Elias the Hedgehog series gives a glimpse into my little nephew’s life at this moment. His world is made up of a very small group of key people, his family; their lives in turn revolve around him. He happens to be exceptional at giving hugs, which he delivers with the kind of innocent and unashamed abandon that only a child can master. I want to remember him at this moment, and I want him to be able to look back and see himself as we did on that day. Happy Birthday, Elias.